Nov 11 (FT) SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Nalin Jayasundera welcomed the Budget 2026 proposals to upgrade domestic and international airport infrastructure and improve road connectivity, but cautioned that without a robust, consistent marketing strategy, the country will struggle to attract year-round visitors. “Overall, the Budget 2026 is good,” he said. Jayasundera said the tourism industry more..

Nov 11 (Island) Time was when a tour of Pakistan was something cricketers eagerly looked forward to — a chance to criss cross a country where the warmth of its people matched the spice of its biryani and masala chai. Those were days when cities like Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Karachi rolled out the red carpet for visiting sides. Not this time. For the 3-week assignment, SL will shuttle only between Lahore and Rawalpindi, missing out on the rest of that cricket-mad nation. more..

Nov 11 (ST) On Nov 3, Sri Lanka saw the coming together of two generations of martial artists who will congregate to honour the man who took them in, and assumed the role of their guide and mentor and shaped their lives under the umbrella of the Chinese martial arts – wushu. This visionary who introduced wushu to Sri Lanka in 1975 is none other than Prasanna Jayaweera, who built this family of SL martial artists with his devotion, passion and true love towards the youth of our country. more..

Nov 11 (ST) A chilling new wave of cybercrime is sweeping across Sri Lanka, as scammers use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create convincing deep fake videos featuring well-known business leaders, govt officials, and celebrities — all promoting fake investment schemes that promise extraordinary returns. At first glance, these slick videos look genuine. Shot as professional interviews in Sinhala and seamlessly dubbed into fluent English, they feature familiar faces appearing to endorse more..

Nov 11 (FT) National Chamber of Commerce of SL (NCCSL) said the 2026 Budget represents a key step towards restoring investor confidence, ensuring macroeconomic stability, and re-entering international financial markets by 2028. Chamber commended the Govt’s continued focus on building a resilient, transparent, and inclusive economy, reaffirming its commitment to supporting policies and initiatives that drive sustainable growth and strengthen the overall business environment. more..

Nov 11 (FT) PM Harini Amarasuriya yesterday reaffirmed the Govt’s commitment to ensuring fair compensation, social equity, and sustainability in the tea industry, whilst aiming to increase made tea production to 400 million kilograms (mnkg) and boost export earnings to $ 2.5 billion by 2030. Addressing the inauguration of the Int'l Tea Symposium (InTSym100), marking the centenary of Tea Research Institute of SL, more..

Nov 11 (FT) Colombo stock market began the week with strong upward momentum yesterday with the benchmark index crossing 23,500 points for the very first time driven by positive sentiments after Friday’s 2026 Budget speech delivered by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. First Capital Research said investor sentiment remained buoyant, particularly towards counters that received favourable outcomes from the National Budget reading. ASPI closed 0.70% higher gaining 164.34 points more..

Nov 11 (FT) South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT) CEO Romesh David said for SL to attract credible investors into public-private partnerships (PPPs), Govt must ensure clarity of purpose, alignment among agencies, and speed in decision-making and fairness in execution. Speaking at a recent forum, he outlined key ingredients for successful PPPs, stressing that investor confidence depends primarily on a Govt’s ability to demonstrate clear purpose, policy alignment, and credible commitment. more..

Nov 11 (FT) 39th Annual Conference and Expo of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) opened in Colombo yesterday, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from 28 member nations under the theme Entrepreneurship in the Asian Century. Hosted by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of SL (FCCISL), the two-day event at Cinnamon Life City of Dreams marked the first time SL has more..

Nov 11 (FT) Women Mean Business (WmB) Coalition, supported by the Co-Impact Gender Fund and convened by Chrysalis, held its fifth Coalition Meeting on 29 Oct, bringing together over 80 representatives from women-led business consortia across multiple districts, Govt institutions, financial organisations, UN and bilateral agencies, academia and civil society. The gathering aimed to accelerate gender-transformative reforms within SL’s Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. more..

Nov 11 (CI) So we have arrived at another bilateral ODI series. Believe it or not, these were all the rage back in the first half of the 2010s - used so frequently as schedule-filler, to bulk up tours. T20Is and T20 leagues serve that purpose now, and the ODI World Cup is not till 2027. Still, this is a chance for Pakistan and SL to do some building towards the next big event. Here are five things to watch for the 3-match series starting on Tues. more..

Nov 11 (DM) In a landmark move for SL’s renewable energy sector, Macksons Solar, in collaboration with Macktiles, unveiled the country’s largest rooftop solar project at the Macktiles Lanka (Pvt) Ltd factory complex in Bandaragama. This 10 megawatt (MW) installation comprises over 18,000 high-efficiency solar panels, advanced inverter systems and state-of-the-art monitoring technology. Together, they are expected to generate approximately 12 GWh of clean energy annually, while reducing more..

Nov 11 (CT) Once again, SL is at the mercy of misplaced morality. The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, has raised alarm over what he calls an inappropriate form of sex education proposed for schools. He claims that int'l organisations are behind it, that it promotes same-sex relationships, and that it will corrupt our children. It is an argument we have heard far too often, only dressed in different robes each time. Faith, morality, and logic are once again thrown into more..

Nov 11 (ST) When then Presidential hopeful Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared mid last year to the NPP’s overseas faithful that SL’s Provincial Council (PC) system will continue till a new system is identified to create harmony among the Sinhala, Tamil & Muslim communities (London, June 2024), no one quite questioned as to what that new system was going to be. Neither did the JVP- led NPP’s manifesto provide concrete answers to that question. Mr Dissanayake also stated, unsurprisingly more..

Nov 11 (Island) Budget for 2026, proposed by the govt, has been generally well received. The CCC praised the plan, with its Chairperson Krishan Balendra stating that from a private-sector perspective this Budget provides stability and emphasising that with the steps that were taken and the discipline we have seen since 2022, SL avoided going down the same path as countries that suffered years of high inflation and collapsing exchange rates. This budget continues that stability. more..

Nov 11 (CT) After years of discussion, debate, and delays, SL’s Ministry of Education has drawn a definitive line in the sand: the 2026 academic year will be the commencement of one of the most ambitious and profound educational reforms in the nation’s history. In a comprehensive media briefing on Thursday, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewe, flanked by the heads of the nation’s core educational bodies, laid out more..

Nov 11 (GV) Historically, SL has been accommodating both legally and culturally towards its ethno-religious groups. While the Constitution accords Buddhism the foremost place under Article 9, it also safeguards the right to freedom of religion and belief through Articles 10 and 14(1)(e). Supreme Court of SL has identified freedom of religion as an absolute right (Article 10) and, while Buddhism is given priority, the state remains bound to uphold equality and freedom of religion for all. more..

Nov 11 (TM) The recent deaths of two SL workers at a fish farm in South Korea and the disturbing attacks on SL migrant workers in Israel with chemical-laced water have once again brought to light the precarious conditions and situations that SL migrant workers face overseas. These incidents are being investigated by SL authorities as well as the authorities of the respective countries. However, while these incidents may be isolated ones, longstanding challenges faced by SL migrant more..

Nov 11 (TM) SL’s online visa system has come under fire after a new audit revealed serious flaws in how it was implemented. Auditor General’s Dept, in a special report, has called for the Govt to assess and recover the losses caused by the project and to hold those responsible to account. The report also urges that any future e-visa system be awarded through a fair and transparent process. In its latest Special Audit Report on the Online Visa more..

Nov 11 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, presented the 2026 budget to Parliament on the afternoon of Nov 7. It is important to examine the proposals related to mitigating the human–elephant conflict —arguably the most serious socio-economic, environmental, and political problem currently facing SL. Thousands of elephants, and nearly 40% of the country’s land area, on which people live, are affected. NPP promised during the election campaign, more..

Nov 11 (DM) There seems to be insufficient public discourse on the proposed education reforms, except for politically motivated or self-centred criticisms by political parties and trade unions. The students, who are the target group of these reforms and their parents seem to be in the dark. About a month ago, the Education Ministry was denounced for allegedly excluding subjects such as history from the curriculum, and then it seems to have been forgotten, while another issue, more..

Nov 10 (AD) A group from the SLPP, including its National Organizer MP Namal Rajapaksa visited the headquarters of the SLFP today — for the first time in nearly ten years. MP Rajapaksa visited the SLFP headquarters to hold discussions regarding the public rally scheduled to take place in Nugegoda on Nov 21, which will be held in opposition to the actions of the current govt. Representatives of the SLPP arrived at the SLFP headquarters on Darley Road this morning for the discussions. more..

Nov 10 (FT) Diversified conglomerate CIC Holdings has reported a consolidated revenue of Rs. 41.6 billion for the first half of the financial year 2025/26 (1HFY26). Group reported a solid top-line growth of 7.2% and an impressive bottom-line growth of 14.7% with Profit After Tax (PAT) increased to a significant Rs. 3.25 billion, compared to Rs. 2.83 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. In a statement CIC said the Group’s performance was underpinned by strong margin recovery, more..

Nov 10 (DM) UNESCO adopted Resolution 43 C/22 on the Commemoration of the International Day of Vesak at UNESCO, at its 43rd General Conference in Samarkand on Nov 6. The landmark resolution was initiated by SL, and was adopted by the General Conference as per the provisions of the Executive Board Decision 219 EX/27 of March 2024 which requested the Director-General to transmit the Decision on more..

Nov 10 (AD) Ampara High Court today sentenced six individuals to death in connection with a murder that took place on April 14, 2015. Six individuals were found guilty of assaulting and murdering two individuals in Kehelulla, Padiyathalawa. Group had assaulted and ran over two individuals with a lorry for protesting against the six individuals who had been consuming alcohol inside a vehicle. As a result, HC today imposed the death penalty on the six individuals involved in the incident. more..

Nov 10 (NW) SL’s enduring commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of its migrant workforce is underscored by a comprehensive system of protections, including mandatory insurance, contributory pensions, grievance redress mechanisms, and reintegration support, according to Deputy Labour Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe. Addressing the Second World Summit for Social Development held in Doha, Qatar, last week, Jayasinghe outlined some of the policy and more..

Nov 10 (SO) Deputy Minister of Education Madhura Seneviratne said Budget 2026 has strengthened confidence within the Education Ministry and related institutions — including the National Institute of Education (NIE) and the Dept of Education — to roll out the Govt’s planned Education Reforms 2026 from next year. Of the Rs. 300 billion total allocation for the education sector, Rs. 230.1 billion has been set aside for general more..

Nov 10 (AD) The govt of SL has signed the agreement for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage with Saudi Arabian officials in Jeddah, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The agreement was signed by the SL delegation, headed by the Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Muneer Mulaffer and the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdulfattah Bin Sulaiman Mashat. The agreement outlines the mutual understanding and commitment of both govts to facilitate and more..

Nov 10 (AD) An individual has been confirmed to have died while about 40 others have been injured in the bus accident reported in Thalawa, Anuradhapura, police stated. According to Ada Derana correspondents, the bus had been carrying more than 40 passengers at the time of the accident. Those injured in the accident are still being transported to hospitals. The private bus that met with the accident had been traveling from Thalawa to the ‘411 village’. more..

Nov 10 (CT) Judicial Service Commission (JSC) announced revisions to the qualifications required for recruitment to the post of Magistrate in the Second Class, First Grade of the Judicial Service. According to the new guidelines, four key qualifications have been outlined for eligibility, marking a notable change from the previous criteria. The relevant qualifications are to be a lawyer who is or has been in active practice for not less than three years, or to be a lawyer who has served as more..

Nov 10 (CT) NDF MP Anuradha Jayaratne said that the Govt had spent only Rs 272 million out of the Rs 4,000 million allocated last year for rural road development, leaving more than 90% of the funds unused. He also noted that of the Rs 500 million allocated for young entrepreneurs, only a very small portion had been spent. Jayaratne said the Budget contained elements designed to impress externally, but questioned how much of the 2025 Budget had actually been translated into on-the-ground more..